Although there are around 1.20 crore farmers in the country, there is not even a single training centre for them, Agriculture Minister MK Anwar said Tuesday at a roundtable.

Farmers need training for cultivating in modern ways but the country is yet to reach modern agricultural knowledge to them. This is why, in spite of the potential for producing eight to nine tonnes of rice in per hectare of land, the farmers are failing to attain the target, he added.

The roundtable on 'Interventions for Agro Industries: Trade Expansion and Modernisation' at Dhaka Chamber Building was organised by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and chaired by DCCI President Sayeeful Islam.

Speakers also proposed for a technical plan of action and a policy framework to boost country's agro-economy and rise agro-based export earnings.

They urged the government to establish agro-industry and export processing zones (AEPZs), provide subsidies for the investors, study agro-based market and translate the theories into reality to diversify farm products in the country.

Bangladesh has progressed much in agricultural sector in the last few years. The contribution of agriculture to GDP in FY2004-05 was 21 percent and the contribution of agro-products to the total export earnings was 2.25 percent during the same period, said DCCI president.

The total export earning through agro-products stood at US$ 719.69 million in 2002-03, US$803.93 million in 2003-04 and US$ 872.4 million in 2004-05. But the country could have reaped a better harvest if she had put integrated and intensive efforts in this sector, he felt.

The speakers also blamed the slow growth and slow pace of modernisation in the agriculture sector on poor access to market, little access to technology and financing, higher VAT, fiscal anomalies, cross-border trade and higher transport costs.

The DCCI president urged the government to formulate appropriate policies and action plan to ensure a positive environment for the growth of private agro-based business.

The speakers also emphasised the importance of easy and affordable access to transport system, especially cargo facilities, in domestic and international level to boost agro-based business.

A number of ago-entrepreneurs were also present at the roundtable.